One of my favorite details to add to the table when hosting is a living centerpiece. Mini gardens planted up with tiny flowers in a beautiful planter not only charms guests, but also lasts far longer than a cut flower arrangement, often blooming until fall.
Of course, when creating a living table centerpiece, you have to select plants carefully, taking into consideration compact size, longevity, and minimal maintenance, so you can focus on relaxing and enjoying your company. Just like tabletop garden ideas for spring, there are several tiny flowers for a summer tabletop garden that are sure to delight. From fragrant sweet alyssum and marigolds, to delicate trailers that spill onto the table, there are lots of elegant gem-sized blooms to decorate with this season.
Paired with a vessel that sets the mood (like this rustic terracotta Wayfair bowl planter), this is an easy way to elevate your tablescape for summer. Here, garden pros share their top choices to plant up now.
1. Sweet Alyssum
If you're planning to create a mini thriller, spiller, filler container for your summer tabletop garden, then look no further than sweet alyssum as a filler.
This sprawling plant has dainty blooms that flower from late spring through to fall.
The best part is sweet alyssum is one of the best fast-growing tiny flowers that you can grow easily from seed (using these sweet alyssum seeds from Burpee).
'The fragrance of this flower alone is worth it. It smells like honey, and it attracts beneficial insects like butterflies, which I love,' says Nicole Burke, gardening author and founder of Gardenary.
'The blooms are teeny tiny clusters of white, lavender, or purple, and they spill over container edges in the most charming way,' she describes.
As for maintenance, Nicole notes it's important to keep some garden pruning snips to hand (like these Fiskars ones from Amazon).
'Alyssum tends to take a little summer siesta when the heat peaks. Don't panic. Just trim it back by about a third, water consistently, and it'll bounce right back when the temperatures soften,' she explains.
2. Signet Marigolds
There are so many different types of marigolds out there, but those ideal for tabletop displays are signet marigolds, a smaller variety.
'The blooms are small and delicate, the foliage is feathery and fine-textured, and the whole plant smells faintly of citrus,' says Nicole.
Just like using marigolds to deter pests in a vegetable garden, having signet marigolds on your outdoor table can also help repel flying insects so you can dine outdoors in peace.
'They're also edible,' Nicole notes. Using these herb harvesting scissors from Amazon, you can harvest signet marigolds for garnishes and salads, providing a mild citrusy taste.
You should follow the same advice as growing marigolds, placing them in full sun, keeping them consistently watered, and deadheading to encourage more blooms and a tidier appearance.
You can find signet marigold plants at Walmart, or plant these signet marigold seeds from Amazon to grow them from scratch.
3. Lobelia
Another tiny flower for a summer tabletop garden is lobelia, which is a beautiful choice of blue flower for containers.
'It appreciates consistent water and looks lovely spilling gently over the sides of a tabletop pot,' says gardening expert and landscape designer Brandon McCormick.
'In very hot weather, give it some shade and trim it back if it becomes leggy,' says Brandon.
'For any tabletop container, the key is to use a pot with drainage, choose a lightweight quality potting mix, and water more often than you would with larger garden containers. Small pots dry out quickly in summer, so checking them daily will keep the flowers healthy and fresh-looking,' he advises.
You can keep your lobelia, and other container plants, happy by using a soil moisture meter (like this from Amazon) to check when it's time to top them up with water.
Find blue lobelia plants at Walmart. Alternatively, lobelia is really easy to grow from seed (you can use these lobelia seeds from Botanical Interests).
4. Dwarf Zinnias
One of the easiest fast-growing annual flowers to grow is zinnia, which makes an excellent long-stemmed cut flower. But, these joyful blooms also come as dwarf varieties, perfectly compact for a tabletop container.
'Miniature zinnias are perfect when you want cheerful color in a compact form,' says Brandon. 'They like full sun, warm temperatures, and airflow around the plants. Deadheading spent flowers will encourage more blooms and keep the container looking tidy,' he adds.
A variety like 'Thumbelina' zinnia (you can find seeds at Amazon) in particular is ideal for growing in pots, with a bushy habit and abundance of colorful blooms.
To keep zinnias blooming, you should keep cutting them. It can be a nice idea to cut a stem for each of your guests to take home. In return, the zinnias will push out even more blooms all the way through to fall.
Explore the range of zinnia seeds at Burpee.
Explore the range of zinnia seeds at True Leaf Market.
5. Million Bells
'Calibrachoa, often called million bells, is wonderful for trailing out of a container,' says Brandon.
This is actually one of the best plants for a hanging basket but works just as beautifully in tiered planters and tabletop arrangements.
'It thrives in full sun and needs consistent moisture, but the soil should never stay soggy. A light feeding every couple of weeks helps keep the blooms coming all summer,' Brandon advises.
These heavy feeders benefit from a diluted balanced fertilizer (like this from Amazon) every other week to support their growth with essential plant nutrients.
The best part is million bells comes in so many different colors, from this purple million bells plant at Walmart, to this tangerine orange million bells plant at Walmary, so there's an option for every table color scheme.
What to Shop
Have these garden snips to hand to quickly tidy up your living centerpiece. It has a carbon steel blade for clean cuts.
This beautiful watering can is constructed of galvanized steel with a glossy white finish and wooden handle. The narrow spout is perfect for container gardening.
This potting mix is a special blend for container plants. It's nutrient-rich, well-draining yet moisture-retentive.
If you're looking for other ways to get your garden summer ready, then check out our guide to sprucing up spring containers for summer to give your pots a refresh. We also asked garden designers their favorite 'instant garden' trick for summer, perfect for quickly upgrading your yard for hosting this season.
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